4Game

So the core idea comes from the gameplay that arose from the Thargoid Surface Site discovery process. To those unaware the basic idea is that if you discover an active thargoid surface site, you can use the thargoid link to help you locate the next surface site. This gameplay triggered a lot of excitement and engagement within the exploration community and eventually lead to the discovery of 208 sites. If you look hard enough online, you should be able to find a star map showing all the sites and how they are connected (i don't have the link on me)

https://www.reddit.com/r/EliteDangerous/comments/6ldmgw/this_time_we_have_found_all_thargoid_sites_208/

Here is how it might be applicable to the new biologicals. First, we must accept that the biologicals that we currently see in the alpha are spacefaring to some extent, as that is the only way they are able to spread to completely different star systems. Next, In order for it to spread, it must have jumped from one system to the next system in a branching method kinda like a family tree, except every node of the tree is a star system. If we were to somehow be able to trace that spread, we would hypothetically be able to generate a vast branching network of star systems leading all the way to a single source star system where the species originated from

Now this is where the gameplay comes in. Every time you successfully scan a species and submit your findings to Vista Genomics, your data will be added with the database of all players' discoveries to generate a map showing genetic lineage. So basically if player 1 scans a cactus in System A and player 2 scans a cactus in System B, if cactus in system A is the direct ancestor of cactus in System B, a line will be drawn on the map to represent their connection. With enough community engagement, it will be possible to generate the full "family tree" of each species and even locate the "common ancestor" with enough community dedication.

Does this solve all the issues people currently have with exobiologist gameplay? No, but it makes scanning plants feel more worthwhile than a few measly credits

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TL;DR:

Community scans plants to map out the genetic lineage of the plant on an interstellar level. End goal is cool looking star map showing the "family tree" of the plant. Inspired by thargoid surface site.